Airbus to double outlays with suppliers in U.S.

WICHITA, Kan. — European aerospace giant Airbus said Monday it plans to double the $12 billion it now spends with U.S. suppliers, saying the company has a backlog that is "disturbingly healthy."

Allan McArtor, Airbus America chairman, told representatives from 114 companies at an aviation supplier conference in Kansas that 40 percent of what his company uses to build its planes comes from U.S. companies.

Kansas' aerospace industry encompasses more than 450 companies and accounts for more than 32,000 direct jobs.